Heatable shaving lather dispenser



Aug. 15, 1967 E. R. ROSSI HEATABLE SILNING LATHER DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 19.66

INVENTOR. EMIL R. ROSS! Aug. 15, 1967 r-:. n. ROSSI HEATABLE srmvme LATHER DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 1966 INVENTOR. E M/L R. POSS/ Aug. 15, 1967 E. R. ROSSI HEATABLE SHAVING LATHER DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed March .50, 1966 INVENTOR R. ROSS! E. R. ROSSI HEATABLE SHAVING LATHER DISPENSER Aug. 15, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. E MIL R. ROSS/ ATTORNEY Filed March 30, 1966 Aug. 15, 1967 E. R. ROSSI HEATABLE SHAVING LATHER DISPENSER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 30, 1966 l m R n H m United States Patent 3,335,910 HEATABLE SHAVING LATHER DISPENSER Emil R. Rossi, 71 Windom Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. 10305 Filed Mar. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 538,732 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-54) This invention relates to a dispenser for shaving lather. More specifically, it deals with a unit for dispensing heated shaving lather drawn out of an aerosol lather container.

A number of aerosol lather dispensers have appeared on the market. Some of them are attachable to the aerosol can and are heated by running hot water between conductive channels through which the lather is fed. Such units have not proved generally useful due to the fact that they require readily-available hot water, and because the heating is of short duration. The troubles experienced with other dispensers generally involve difficulties in obtaining adequate heating of the lather and in the feeding of the lather onto the hand which rubs it onto the beard. Another difficulty involves the fact that only certain types of aerosol containers may be used with such units.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a heating duct of high heat capacity, designed to hold enough heat to heat all of the lather required for the shaving operation. Another object is to make available a readily-releasable feeder valve for feeding the heated lather onto the hand without need of much manipulation. A still further object includes the provision for accommodation of most types of aerosol containers to be used for the lather supply. Additional objects will become apparent from the description which is to follow.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment is described and in which the same numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 depicts a perspective front elevational view of a dispenser of the present invention to be mounted on a wall bracket, and having a front and side housing portion partly cut away to show inner constructional features.

FIGURE 2 presents a similar view of the lather heating and dispensing block mountable within the dispenser.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a cross-sectional front view taken along the plane of line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 shows a cross-sectional front view taken along the plane of line 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 presents an electrical diagram employed in the unit depicted in FIGURES 1-4.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate perspective side views, partly cut away, of the upper portions of two different types of upright lather foam containers useable with the dispenser of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 shows a perspective cut-away front elevational view of a dispenser of the present invention, as

adapted for use with an inverted lather container.

FIGURE 9 depicts a schematic wiring diagram indicat- .ing.how it may be used withv the unit shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE '10 presents an adapter to be used with the valve of one type of inverted aerosol container.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral 10 represents generally an electrical insulating plastic housing containing inner compartments 11 and 12, separated by divider 13. Inserted within both compartments, and held in place by divider 13, is conductive block 14 made of heat-conductive material, such as aluminum, or the like.

Cut lengthwise into block 14 is a hole or channel 15 in which is inserted eelctrical heating cartridge 16, having electrical leads 17 and 18. An insulating disk 19 serves to keep heater 16 in place. Also cut lengthwise into block 14, and adjacent hole 15, is another hole or duct 20,

3,335,910 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 which may be plugged, at the cutter entrance, with plug 21. A threaded lather inlet hole 22 is cut through the bottom of block 14, near one end thereof, and in connecting relation with longitudinal duct 20. Near the other end of block 14, another similar hole 23 is provided as the lather outlet opening.

Into hole 22 is screwed a threaded nipple 24 having narrow channel 25 for passage therethrough of lather foam from aerosol container 26. Attached to the bottom threaded portion 27 of nipple 24 is adapter 28 made of electrically-insulating plastic and having a plastic locking rib 29 which is designed to lock onto complementary rib 30 on the aerosol contaner 26. Adapter 28 is provided with a channel 31, interconnecting with channel 25 in nipple 24. A ball valve 32, held down on seat 33 by spring 34, is used to prevent back-flow of lather in the event the aerosol container 26 is removed from adapter 28.

Mounted in threaded outlet hole 23 is a nipple 35 having a channel 36 interconnecting with block duct 20. Disposed on shoulder 37 of nipple 35 is bracket 38 made of insulating plastic and having inner walls, against which slide the outer walls 41 of slide valve 40. The latter also is made of electrically-insulating plastic. The lower portion 42 of nipple 35 is wider so as to provide a seat 43 against which rests sealing edge 44 of valve 40. This edge may be provided with an O-ring 45 to insure an adequate seal at the seat. A spring 46 exerts a thrust against a shoulder of valve 40 and against the inner surface of bracket 38 uring valve 40 to remain in seated position. A horizontal channel 48 is provided to connect with channel 36 and with seat 43, so that when valve 40 is pushed upwardly with the open hand, lather foam could be forced through duct 20 and channels 36 and 48, and onto thet open hand.

Adapter 28 is desirably made of a meltable plastic, such as of an acetyl copolymer sold commercially under the trademark Delrin, which has a heat-distortion temperature of about 270 F. In the event block 14 becomes overheated from the heat of cartridge 16, this heat softens adapter 28, thus causing it to drop aerosol container 26, which is hung thereon, so that any possibility of explosion of the container in avoided.

On the front face 49 of block 14 is mounted a thermostatic control for heater 16, and this is indicated generally as 50. Leads 17 and 51 of the heater circuit (FIGURE 5) are connected to terminals 52 and 53 of the control. When the temperature of the block (set by knob 54 mounted -on shaft 55) reaches the preselected temperature, bimetallic element 56 opens and prevents further heating of cartridge 16. The dispenser may be mounted on a Wall bracket, such as bracket 57.

A plastic cover 58 may be used to cover container 26, vand this cover may be slid on raceways 59 projecting from the bottom of housing 10. Also, an electric light bulb 60 may be inserted in space 13 in housing 10', and

.a transparent or translucentpanel 61 may be provided to serve as a night light. A switch 62 is provided to actuate heater cartridge 16, and a neon light 63 serves to indicate when the heater is in the on position. The dispenser unit may be plugged into house current by means of plug 64 When inoperation, assuming that plug 64 is in a live condition when switch 62 is turned on, current flows through lines 65 and 66, thus lighting neon bulb 63, and it passes through lines 17 and 18 to heater cartridge 16. which thus heats block 14. When the block has reached the temperature set by knob 54, thermostatic control 56 opens the circuit to the cartridge.

When container 26 is locked onto adapter 28, projecting valve plug 67 of the container is depressed by shoulder 68 on nipple 24, whereby foam 69 from the container passes through channels 25 and 22 and into opening 20 in block 14. However, due to the action of spring 46, valve 40 is closed, and no lather is dispensed.

When the shaver desires heated shaving lather from container 26, he turns on switch 62 and, after a few minutes when block 14 is warmed up, he pushes upwardly valve 40 with the palm of his hand, whereupon heated lather from opening 20 is forced through channels 36 and 48 and onto the palm of his hand.

Container 26, having raised valve plug 67, is known as the container having the trademarked Precision valve. In the case of the container 26' (known under the trademark Canco), wherein the valve is in recessed opening 70, there is provided an adapter plug 71 which may be inserted into opening 70 to serve similarly to plug 67. In this case, container 26' is locked at its lip 72 by forcing said lip into locking position with inner rib 73 of adapter 28.

Although an upright aerosol container is shown in FIGURES 1-7, the invention may be adapted for use with an inverted container, as shown in FIGURES 8-10. In this case heater opening in block 14 is shown as disposed beneath lather passage duct 20. Opening 22 comes out of the top of block 14. Adapter 28' is screwed onto nipple 27, so that inverted container or can 26" may be locked int-o position onto the adapter 28'. An adapter plug 71 is provided for use with containers having recessed valves. In the event a projecting tilt-operated valve plug 67 is disposed on container 26", a special adapter 28" is employed, instead of adapter 28. The electrical circuit in FIGURE 9 is very similar to that in FIG- URE 5.

It will be observed that both primary and secondary electrical insulation are provided in the present dispenser. The housing 10 is made of electrically-insulating plastic,

as are plug 19, adapters 28, 28 and 28", and bracket 38,

as well as valve 40. However, the heater may be actuated by a rechargeable battery which may be inserted in space 13 or 12, if desired, Furthermore, an additional safety device is provided in adapters 28, 28 and 28", due to their heat-softening feature. The locking action of the container against adapter 28 causes valve plug 67 to effect a seal against nipple shoulder 68, preventing loss of lather to the outside, and maintaining channels 25, 22, 20, 36 and 48 under container pressure at all times.

The highly-conductive feature of block 14 results in a rapid heating of lather chamber 20, thus requiring only a very short waiting time. By unscrewing nipples 24 and 35, and disconnecting terminals 52 and 53, the block 14 may be readily removed for cleaning or replacement. Another valuable feature of the present invention is the ability of the unit to adapt itself to the different aerosol containers now on the market. I

For the purposes of the present invention, it is to be understood that the adapter valve plugs, such as plug 71, are'to be considered to be the equivalents of a built-in plug, such as plug 67. Also, the adapter 28 is to be considered the equivalent of an adapter and nipple 24 in maintaining the valve plug 67' open to permit lather flow into duct 20.

I claim:

1. A heatable dispenser for dispensing shaving lather from an aerosol container, comprising:

a housing,

an elongated block of high heat conductivity disposed within said housing and containing a lather-carrying duct and an adjacently-disposed heater channel, a a heater disposed within said heater channel,

a lather inlet disposed in said block near one end of said duct, and a lather outlet disposed in said block near the other end of said duct,

an inlet nipple connected to said lather inlet in outside sealing relation, and having a channel passing therethrough and connecting with said duct, and also having container plug opening means for maintaining, in open position, a valve plug of an aerosol container so as to permit flow of lather from said container and into said duct and to maintain said duct under container pressure,

a hollow adapter attached, in outside sealing relation, to said nipple, and having a locking connection means for connection with an aerosol lather container to be hung thereon in valve-opening relation with said plug-opening means,

an outlet nipple connected to said lather outlet, in outside sealing relation, and having a channel passing therethrough and connecting with said duct, and

a valve of electrically-insulating material attached to said nipple and projecting out of said housing and actuatable by pressure of the hand so as to dispense lather out of said duct and onto said hand.

2. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 1, in which said adapter has an outer locking rim designed to engage inwardly a top rim of an aerosol container.

' 3. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 2, in which said adapter also has an inner locking rim to engage outwardly a top rim of an aerosol container.

4. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 1, in which said outlet nipple has a widened bottom portion having a laterally-directed channel connecting with said outlet nipple channel and the outside, and

a spring-loaded sleeve disposed over said nipple and having a valve seat projecting inwardly above said nipple widened portion and designed to normally press against said lateral channel to close olf said channel and to maintain said channel open upon upward pressure of said sleeve when said sleeve is unseated and lather is permitted to flow through said channel.

5. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 1, in which a thermostatic control is mounted on said block to control the temperature resulting from said heater.

6. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 1, in which a ball valve is mounted in said inlet nipple for preventing back-flow of lather in the event a container is disconnected.

7. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 1, in which the hollow adapter is made of softenable electrically-insulating plastic designed to soften when said block is overheated by said heater.

8. A heatable dispenser, according to claim 1 in which said adapter has an inner locking rim designed to engage outwardly the top rim of an aerosol container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 888,488 5/1908 Gurley 222-54 2,822,961 2/1958 Seaquist 222-397 3,098,925 7/1963 Fouts et a1. 222146 X 3,134,191 5/1964 Davis 222l46 X 3,144,174 8/ 1964 Abplanalp 222--146 3,207,369 9/1965 Rossi 222146 X ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N- LEIMER, i ant Exam n r. 

1. A HEATABLE DISPENSER FOR DISPENSING SHAVING LATER FROM AN AEROSOL CONTAINER, COMPRISING: A HOUSING, AN ELONGATED BLOCK OF HIGH HEAT CONDUCTIVITY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND CONTAINING A LATHER-CARRYING DUCT AND AN ADJACENTLY-DISPOSED HEATER CHANNEL, A HEATER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HEATER CHANNEL, A LATHER INLET DISPOSED IN SAID BLOCK NEAR ONE END OF SAID DUCT, AND A LATHER OUTLET DISPOSED IN SAID BLOCK NEAR THE OTHER END OF SAID DUCT, AN INLET NIPPLE CONNECTED TO SAID LATHER INLET IN OUTSIDE SEALING RELATION, AND HAVING A CHANNEL PASSING THERETHROUGH AND CONNECTING WITH SAID DUCT, AND ALSO HAVING CONTAINER PLUG OPENING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING, IN OPEN POSITION, A VALVE PLUG OF AN AEROSOL CONTAINER SO AS TO PERMIT FLOW OF LATHER FROM SAID CONTAINER AND INTO SAID DUCT AND TO MAINTAIN SAID DUCT UNDER CONTAINER PRESSURE, A HOLLOW ADAPTER ATTACHED, IN OUTSIDE SEALING RELATION, TO SAID NIPPLE, AND HAVING A LOCKING CONNECTED MEANS FOR CONNECTION WITH AN AEROSOL LATHER CONTAINER TO BE HUNG THEREON IN VALVE-OPENING RELATION WITH SAID PLUG-OPENING MEANS, 